typeof() when Cannot implicitly convert type 'System.Type' to 'string'

Question

I'm doing some Xml Serialization, and I'm getting a compile item error.

The code with the error is:

public class EPubBody
{
    [XmlElement(ElementName = "Image", DataType = typeof(EPubImage))]
    public object[] BodyItems;
}

The error is on the typeof(EPubImage) part. The error is Cannot implicitly convert type 'System.Type' to 'string'.

The class EPubImage is in the same namspace, and looks like this:

public class EPubImage
{
    [XmlAttribute("imagePath")]
    public string ImagePath { get; set; }

}

I guess typeof(EPubImage) is returning a System.Type instead of an string. Any pointers on how to ensure that the typeof statement will return a string, instead of a System.Type?

Answer 1

The MSDN Documentation for XmlElementAttribute clearly states that DataType is string, whereas the Type property is of Type.

Answer 2

According to the documentation, the DataType property is used to specify an XSD data type, not a .NET type:

An XML Schema data type, as defined by the World Wide Web Consortium (www.w3.org) document named "XML Schema Part 2: Datatypes".

Try this instead:

public class EPubBody
{
    [XmlElement(ElementName = "Image")]
    public EPubImage[] BodyItems;
}

Answer 3

I found an override for XmlElement() for XmlElement(string, Type), so I tried this instead, and it works.

public class EPubBody
{
    [XmlElement("image", typeof(EPubImage))]
    public object[] BodyItems;
}

When I say "it works", I mean I no longer the the compile time error. Having it exhibit the behaviour as seen in the Remarks section of this document, is another issue.